Stock and display case



. G. H. RIEBETH.

STOCK AND DISPLAY CASE.

APPLICATION FILED IuNEs, 191s.

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LST/@98299 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

l I I I I I I I L G. H. RIEBETH:

STOCK AND DISPLAY CASE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 3,19I8.

Bamm/ed Mm. 29, JIQZL 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- illu', I

W. III F PATENT QFFEQ.

GEORGE'H. RIEBETH, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

STOCK AND DISPLAY CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mal. as, taai.

Application filed June 3, 1918. Serial No. 237,926.

To all whom t 'may conce/m.'

Be it known that l, GEORGE H. RIEBETH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Stock and Bisplay Cases, of which the following is a specifica-tion.

This invention relates to improvements in stock and display cases for flash light material, the primary object being to provide in combination with a case in which a stock of flash light materiall is held, means whereby the stock of material must necessarily be rotated when drawn upon for distiibutioii and means for easily and eHectilvely testing the material as it is sold. More particularly the case is adapted for use for holding batteries and testing them as they are sold to show whether each battery is iii serviceable condition. n

lVith these and other objects in view, my invention comprises the features of construction and combination of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is an enlarged front elevation when the doors and drawer are ree moved; Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a section of a detail taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 8 ;v Fig. 6 is a section of a detail taken on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3; and Fig. 7 is a section of a detail taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3.

In the drawing let A indicate a rectangular casing having two opposite sides 10 and 11, a top 12, bottom 13, horizontal partition 14 spaced above the bottom and parallel thereto and a back 15. Arranged in the front of the casing is a door Bfwhich is hinged at 16 to swing horizontally into closed position across the front of the case and serving to close the upper portion thereof. Disposed below the lower edge ofl this door is a horizontal bar 17 and upon this bar an auxiliary door 19 is hinged at 18. This auxiliary door is adapted to close the space in the front of the-casing between the bar 17 and the lower edge of the door B. This auxiliary door swings upwardly and its upper edge overlaps the lower edge ef the door B to hold the latter locked closed by the former. Normally, however, the main door B is locked closed independently o f the door 19 by means of a lock 20, (see Fig. l), so that any stock contained in the case above the horizontal partition 14 is not accessible except in the manner to be hereinafter described. The lower portion of the case I'below the horizontal bar 17 may be occupied vby a sliding drawer 21, which is movable forwardly and backwardly into and out of the case.

Arranged upon the horizontal floor 14 and extending vertically above are a plurality of vertical partitions 22 to 28 inclusive, said partitions being suitably spaced apart to form vertical compartments in which stacks of batteries within cartons 29 are held. Across the lower portion of these partitions is a stop bar 30, which holds next to the lowermost battery of each stack in the compartments against withdrawal through the space occupied by the door 19. Arranged upon the shelf 14, which supports the stacks of batteries are a plurality of pull members 31, there being one pull member disposed beneath each stack of batteries. Each of these pull members is slidable inwardly and outwardly through the space occuplicd by the door 19 and in a guide 32, whic is mounted `upon the shelf 14. The inner end of the pull member is formed with an upstanding shoulder 83, which en gages back of the inner end of the lowermost battery of the stack above, so that when the pull member is pulled outwardly, the lowermost battery is projected outwardly infront of the case while the bat tery immediately above is held from being withdrawn by means of the stop bar 30. rlhe forward end of the pull member is formed with a downturned bar 34, which serves the purpose of a handle for manipulating the pull member, by hand and also serves to define the return movement of the pull member by striking against the front edge of the shelf 14. The pull member is urged into inward position that is into a position in which it is adapted to engage back of the battery which drops into the place of the one which is withdrawn from the lower end of the stack, by means of the spring 35, one end of which is attached to the inner extremity 36 (see Fig. 5) of the pull member, and the other end of which is suitably attached to a vertical wall or partition 37,

which is arranged at the back ends ofthe vertical partitions 22 to 28 inclusive, or to the rear wall of the casing.

Preferably vertical walls 38 may be disposed at the inner ends of the vertical compartments formed b v the vertical partitions 22 to 2S inclusive according to the length of the battery, which is to be held in the compartments` it being understood that the cells provided for holding the stacks of batteries are to be of proper dimensions both in width and depth to holdthe batteries in vertical alinement. Then it is desired to withdraw any of the batteries, the door 19 is opened and the battery it is desired to use withdrawn from its stack by pulling outwardly upon the corresponding pull member 31. This operation projects the lowermost battery 'from the case so that it can be easily clasped in the hand and withdrawn whereupon the remaining batteries above the one which has been withdrawn drop downwardly into place. Thus it is necessary to rotate the Stock in` regular order, so that fresh stock will always remain on top, it being understood that the door B remains locked.

.The stock of batteries can be replenished from time to time by opening the door B and the number of batteries remaining in the case can be determined at any time without opening the door B, said door being provided with a j glass or transparent plate 40. Arranged upon the shelf 14 between the partition 22 and the side 10 of the casing is a battery tester C. which is in the form of a block 41 in halves having suitable openings or holes 42 corresponding in cross sectional size and shape respectively with the size and shape of the different bat teries held in the battery holding compartments in the casing. In the event the batteries are round` the openings for testing them may be of corresponding shape and if the batteries are contained in square cartons. the openings may be of corresponding shape. so that the batteries with their cartons may be inserted bodily into the openings for testing purposes. Arranged above the block are suitable electric lighting bulbs 43 for testing purposes, there being a bulb for each opening. At the inner end of each opening is an electrical contact piece 44 mounted upon the block and having one end projecting down into the opening to receive the battery, so that when the battery is inserted in the opening, one of its terminals will contact with the contact member 44. This contact member is suitably connected electrically by one of the conductors 45 with one side of the testing lamp immediately above. The other side of said testing lamp is connected with a swinging contact member 47 immediately below the opening in which the battery is inserted. This contact member is hinged at 46 uponA the outer portion of the shelf` 14 -and is 4provided with a` point 48 on its Outer end,

which is adapted to be swung up into contact with the bottom or the opposite terminal ot the battery forming one side of the circuit passing therethrough.- Thus when a battery has been withdrawn from oneA of the stacks in the casing. it is'inserted with its contact terminal into the opening of corre.- sponding size in the battery tester and after being fully inserted so that one of its terminals comes into contact with the corresponding contact member 34, the hinge contact member 47 is swung up into contact against the opposite terminal of the battery. The closing of the circuit through the battery causes the illumination of the corresponding testing lamp `43.

T he electric light bulbs for testing are supported by a bar 49 carried by the testing block 41 and extending between the partition 22 and side 10, said bar in turn assisting in supporting a shelf 5l). This shelf and the shelves 51 and 52 above may be used -for supporting stock. The testing block 41 yalso has another form of opening 53, the

lower portion of which is designed in shape to admit a lat battery and thel upper portion another flat battery of smaller size. A pair of terminals 54 (see Fig. 3) at the inner end of the lower portion of the battery opening 53 are arranged so that the terminals of the battery inserted in the inner portion of the opening will make connection and complete a circuit through the testing lamp 55` and another set of terminals 56 are arranged in the opposed portion of the battery opening 53 to also make connection with a separate testing lamp 57. These terminals are arranged and the battery opening shaped, so that the larger sized battery in-` serted in the opening 53 cannot possibly be connected with the lamp 57 of lower voltage than the lamp 55 and thus damage the former. Thus it will be observed the battery openings in the testing block may be provided at their inner ends either with a pair of electrical terminals or with one ter minal and a movable terminal at the outer end for testing different types of batteries.

Normally the hinge contact members 47 hang in the position illustrated in Fig. 3, so that ythe door 19 may be closed. In use the door B is kept closed and when it is desired to remove a. battery from one of the stacks and test the same, the pull piece 31 below the stack from which it is desired t0 remove the battery is drawn in outermost position by the handle member 34 after the door 19 has been opened. This operation causes the lowermost battery to project outwardly from below the stack above. The handle 34 is 'then released and the pull piece is returned 1nto innermost position by the spring 35. The battery which has been projected is then withdrawn from the stack and thev batteries remaining lower by gravity into position for a subsequent lowermost battery to be withdrawn in the same manner. The battery which has been withdrawn is then inserted into the opening in the testing block of corresponding size and the hinge contact member 47 swung up with its point in contact with one terminal of the inserted battery, This operation completes a circuit through the lamp of corresponding voltage, the illumination of which may be observed through the transparent front in the door B. In this manner it can be easily determined whether the battery is in normal condition or partly depleted. ln the event the battery is of flat type, it is not necessary to employ one of the hinge contact members 47, as the corresponding pair 'of terminals 5 4 or 56 will make the connections. By the use of the testing set described it is not possible to make connection with a lamp of lower voltage than the voltage in the battery being tested, the sizes and arrangement of the openings in the testingblock not permitting such use.

ln accordance with the patent statutes, ll have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to representthe best embodiment thereof, but l desire' to have it understood that the construction shown is only illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set forth within the scope of the following claims.

' inserted in said opening and a second electrical`contact connected with said indicator and movably disposed near the outer end o-f said .opening and adapted to be moved into connection with the casing of the battery in said opening, whereby a circuit through the battery and indicator is completed.

2. A cabinet having an opening adapted to admit a battery to be tested, said opening being of substantially corresponding shape and size as the shape. and diameter of said battery, a testing indicator associated with said cabinet, and electrical contacts, one being arranged at the inner end of said opening with which a terminal of said battery may come into contact when the battery is inserted into said opening and connected with said indicator and the other being hinged upon the cabinet near the outer end of said opening and connected with said indicator, said hinged contact being adapted to swing into connection with the outer end of said battery to complete a circuit passing through said indicator and battery.

3. cabinet having an opening formed with cells of different sizes each cell being adapted to admit a batt/ery only of corresponding size into close registration therewith, indicating means associated with said cabinet, and electrical contact members connected with said indicating means and arranged in conjunction lwith said cells to make connection with a battery inserted in and. registering with any one of said cells and complete a circuit through said battery and indicating means.

4. A structure having an opening formed with cells of different sizes or shapes, each cellbeing adapted to receive a battery only of corresponding size or shape into registration therewith, indicating means and contact members with which a battery is adapted to be brought into Contact when inserted in a corresponding cell, said members being connected with said indicating means. ln `testimony whereof, l have signed my name to this specification. f

GEORGE H. RlEBETl-I. 

